We protect what we love

FRIDAY . 07 . 05 . 21 .

Good afternoon and happy Fri-yay!

We know that there has been a lot of communication recently about “running to save wild places”, including the upcoming Pilliga and Mt Rothwell Ultra’s, as well as a lot of reflective posts on the Takaya ultra. We can’t help it - we’re so excited to bring all of these events to you.

Whilst we are essentially a sports activism organisation, we also pride ourselves in our culture of diversity and inclusivity. One of the ways that we aim to make sports activism more accessible is by providing a number of recommendations that people can do at a local level to help “save wild places”.

Scroll down to see a list of recommendations from our team.

THINGS YOU CAN DO

Plogging

With escalating concerns over the environmental crisis of plastic waste, "plogging" (picking up rubbish while jogging) is a great way to help keep wild places free from the highly visible consequences of human consumption and the effects of a disposable society. The incorporation of squats into your daily run can also help build stamina in your quads, whilst ‘doing good’ for the planet.

The best thing about plogging is that it isn’t restricted to the trails, and it certainly isn’t restricted to only people who can run. Picking up rubbish can be done whilst walking, wheeling, skipping, hopping - wherever you decide to have your outdoor adventure.

Picking non-native or pest weeds

When exploring your local trails, you can save wild places by familiarising yourself with noxious weeds and removing these along the way. You can also help by growing natives, rather than introduced plants, in your garden. That way, you’re not only keeping wild places wild, but you’re increasing trail accessibility for others (as they won’t be overrun by these weeds). Please be sure to check your local ‘Parks and Wildlife Services’ website to make sure you’re picking the noxious weeds.

Supporting ‘Ocean Friendly’ cafes

We highly recommend downloading ‘Fair Food Foragers’, an application that allows you to search for food outlets that adhere to fair and sustainable practices. Once you have this app in your pocket, identify ‘Ocean Friendly’ restaurants and cafes, and start grabbing your coffee or scheduling weekend brunches at one of these great places.

Ocean Friendly is a Surfrider Foundation initiative that provides small hospitality businesses who meet certain criteria with ‘Ocean Friendly’ accreditation. These small businesses not only need to pay an annual accreditation fee, but also incur additional costs by providing customers with alternative packaging materials that are more environmentally friendly.

To help these businesses out, they could certainly use your support. If you’re getting take-away, don’t forget to take your keep cup 🙂 or tag the restaurant in any social media posts taken to help generate exposure and community support.

Access friendly walking tracks

Australia has some amazing ‘accessible hikes’ to offer, so jump onto the Trail Hiking Australia website to find one near you and escape the hustle and bustle of city life. Whilst participating in your outdoor adventure, you can partake in lots of the above-mentioned activities - picking up rubbish as you wheel, removing noxious weeds and supporting local businesses that are trying to eliminate plastic from their operations.

TAG US ON INSTAGRAM

Share your contributions with us.

We would absolutely love for you to share your contributions to the 'save wild places' movement, so please tag us in your Instagram post or story. We may just share your efforts with our entire community 😀

ULTRA TRAIL AUSTRALIA

A message to all participants.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/ultratrailaustralia/.

To all of our followers who are participating in the UTA next weekend, we encourage you to engage in some self-care during this final taper week. We are sending everyone - athletes, support crew, and the single spectator allowed at the finish line, alike - positive energy as the excitement and nerves inevitably mount. Have a wonderful time exploring Darung and Gundungurra country!

Finally, I reached out to the amazing Lucy Bartholomew a few weeks ago to ask for advice regarding UTA100 prep and how to mentally prepare for such an enormous event. Lucy's response was sent with genuine warmth, and I’d love to share it with you all:

“The biggest thing I learned out there that you can take to any race or really any part of your life is to focus on what you can control - your nutrition, hydration, your gear, your self-talk, your attitude, your pace - forget worrying about the stairs, the weather, the ‘what-ifs’, the competition. Be in the moment and be so stoked that you get to run around the Blue Mountains and put your hard work on display. Back yourself!” - Lucy Bartholomew.

A FINAL WORD

On a slightly different note, we want to take a moment to let everyone know that our hearts go out to the communities in India and Brazil, as well as all of our followers who have been impacted by, or are currently grappling with, the devastating challenges of covid-19. By supporting local recovery efforts and working together to support each other, we can collectively battle back against the pandemic.

That’s all from us this week. We just wanted to take the opportunity to let our entire community know that ‘sports activism’ is not limited to trail runners. Anyone who loves the great outdoors and the environment can help save wild places and contribute to the wider movement. We encourage everyone, of all abilities, ages, cultures, genders (or non-binary/gender neutral) and geographic locations to get involved - either individually or with a group of friends.

And as always, thank you for taking the time for wild places 🙏🏼

Elanor & the For Wild Places crew.

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We acknowledge the the First Nations people who have been custodians of land, waters and culture for tens of thousands of years. We pay respects to First Nations Elders past, present and emerging. This email was created on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation.

Always was, always will be.

By For Wild Places

We're a group of adventurers who love to

protect wild places we run on